Seahawks set scoring mark in victory over VMI

Tuesday

Nov 24, 2009 at 10:21 PMNov 24, 2009 at 10:46 PM

UNCW (2-4) shot 63.6 percent from the field, the second highest in coach Benny Moss' four seasons. The Seahawks stuck to the high-percentage shots, pounding the paint for 70 points - 10 dunks - and adding 24 more at the free throw line.

By Brian MullBrian.Mull@StarNewsOnline.com

VMI throws its trapping fullcourt pressure at every opponent, regardless of score and situation. The Keydets keep coming in waves, accelerating the pace in hopes of creating a wide-open scoring bonanza.Or, just Chad Tomko and UNC-Wilmington's style.The speedy point guard dissected the Keydets defense on Tuesday night in Trask Coliseum. He ducked, darted and drove, fed his teammates for clean dunks as the Seahawks set a school record for scoring in a 115-95 victory.“I thought Tomko was a one-man press break and we've probably faced two of those in our career here,” VMI coach Duggar Baucom said. “He plays at different speeds, but his accelerator is pretty good. We expended so much energy worrying about him.”UNCW (2-4) shot 63.6 percent from the field, the second highest in coach Benny Moss' four seasons. The Seahawks stuck to the high-percentage shots, pounding the paint for 70 points - 10 dunks - and adding 24 more at the free throw line.Tomko attained a double-double in the first half and finished with 20 points and 12 assists.UNCW center John Fields was the recipient of several of those passes, scoring 22 points on 10 of 11 shooting, including five dunks. He also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for his second double-double this season.“Chad's great, he's fast very shifty with the ball, gets really creative, kinda reminds me a little bit of Pistol Pete,” Fields said. “He just keeps us excited and rejuvenated and ready to play defense on the other end when he gives us great dunks like that.”The Keydets have led the nation in scoring three years in a row by never meeting a shot they wouldn't take and typically thrive behind the 3-point line. But UNCW limited those open looks, holding VMI (2-2) to season lows in makes (nine) and attempts (31).While the style was fun for players and fans, Moss said he never felt comfortable. No lead seemed safe at such a frenetic pace. Still, he was proud of how his team followed the game plan, shared the ball and attacked inside and stayed in touch with the VMI shooters.“We tried to be under them on every catch,” Moss said. “We wanted to take their legs away, and therefore if they shot 3s it was out of rhythm because they couldn't just step right into it. They're just so hard to guard, and because of that we gave us some drives I don't like.”The UNCW scoring record had stood for nearly 32 years. Fields broke the mark, fittingly on a dunk, with 2:25 remaining.“Some of the old UNCWs were really slow-down, hard-nosed defensive teams,” Fields said. “Coach Moss just recruited a whole new generation of athletes and shooters and people who just can make plays ... it feels good that we can have a freeflowing offensive coach who gives us a lot of freedom.”Dominique Lacy added 19 points, Johnny Wolf added 14 and Ahmad Grant scored 11, including an eight-point burst in 47 seconds.